Verbolten

Manufacturer

ZIERER

Model

Elevated Seating Coaster w/ Vertical Drop Element

Hamlet

Oktoberfest (Germany)

Official Opening

May 18, 2012

Soft Opening

May 11, 2012

Tallest Drop

88ft

Top Speed

53mph

Inversion Count

0

Launch Segments

2

Riders Per Train

16

Number of Trains

5

Height Requirement

48in

Verbolten is an indoor/outdoor ZIERER Elevated Seating Coaster that features a Vertical Drop Element. It officially opened in mid-May 2012 on the site formally occupied by the Arrow Suspended Coaster, Big Bad Wolf.

Videos​

Development Documentary​

• From Dreams to Screams: Verbolten by Devin Olson

Ride Recordings​

On-Ride Videos​

• Opening Year POV (Storm Sequence)
• Opening Year POV (Spirit Sequence)
• Opening Year POV (Wolves Sequence)
• Spring 2019 Lights-On POV
• 2012/2019 Side-by-Side POV

Backstage Footage​

• Verbolten Control Booth Screens

 

[SLC Headache]

Probably if the poncho comes off, it could gum up the drop track?

Also, coming back from Canada's Wonderland, I managed to get a new perspective on Verbolten of all things. Backlot over there was rougher and wasn't running its effects, and honestly I'd take Verbolten over it (KD's Backlot crushes either of the two).

However, Wonder Mountain's Guardian had a far superior drop track - long enough to provide some freefall, while Verbolten's feels more like a nasty slam/jerk. Still think Vortex with its swinging through the terrain was better than anything Verbolten could offer.

The drop track feels like a cheap jump scare, and by being shoehorned in the middle of the ride, not only serves as an anticlimax, but also negates the biggest advantage of a multi-launch - the relentless pacing. It's just out-of-place and the ride would have been better off without it.

I'm back to wanting a Phantom's Revenge treatment, removing the drop track (replaced with an airtime hill), main hill (lowered to allow a gentler launch with airtime at the top), and first two turns after the main drop (reprofiled to be banked harder). Along with trashing the campy blacklight cutouts for more realistic forest theming, this revamped Verbolten could beat Full Throttle if not Volcano in my book instead of losing to KD's Backlot.

 

[Zachary]

[...] removing the drop track [...]

Removing the signature element of a coaster is basically never the right way to fix it. In my book, a unique coaster is far less common than a good coaster. Give me an interesting mediocre coaster over a standard good one anyday.

Also, lets not forget that Verbolten is one of only two or three true freefall drop-track coasters in the world. Most people who have ridden Verbolten will never ride another coaster with one (assuming the new Potter coaster uses Intamin's fake "freefall" drop track like Thirteen and Inferno).

 

[SLC Headache]

[...] removing the drop track [...]

Removing the signature element of a coaster is basically never the right way to fix it. In my book, a unique coaster is far less common than a good coaster. Give me an interesting mediocre coaster over a standard good one anyday.

Also, lets not forget that Verbolten is one of only two or three true freefall drop-track coasters in the world. Most people who have ridden Verbolten will never ride another coaster with one (assuming the new Potter coaster uses Intamin's fake "freefall" drop track like Thirteen and Inferno).

It seems like Cheetah Hunt is the "standard great coaster" to Verbolten's "unique mediocre-to-me-but-probably-good-enough-for-many-others coaster", then.

If only they had taken it in reverse. They'll never be able to live up to the Wolf's ending with non-swinging cars, so they should have made that the start of the ride, which would have allowed the drop track to be the ending. This alternate universe Verbolten would not have drawn wistful comparisons to the Wolf, and could have stood up to Cheetah Hunt in the Golden Tickets.

But I don't think it'd be possible at this point, sadly. They wasted their signature element by overpowering it later on in the ride.

I see this ride as a symbol of the decline after Anheuser-Busch fell to InBev, who cut the parks off. Of the post-Busch SWP&E additions, only Manta, Cheetah Hunt, Mako, and maybe InvadR look to be on par with the previous era, and even Mako was a flop if SWO attendance is anything to go by.


So Intamin uses a "fake drop" (how does that even work, anyway), and Verbolten and I assume Polar X-Plorer use a real drop? Not sure if Wonder Mountain's Guardian is a fake or real drop, but it sure felt real to me.

 

[Thomas]

The Intamin "drops" are pulled to the bottom quickly, there is no actual drop.

 

[Nicole]

I completely disagree with your assessment.

I believe the entire point of the last element is to pay homage to BBW. Especially when BGW faces a lot of criticism for ignoring it's history, I think actively acknowledging a beloved attraction from the past is an intrinsically good thing for the park to do.

 

[SLC Headache]

The Intamin "drops" are pulled to the bottom quickly, there is no actual drop.

Hmm. Makes me appreciate the engineering that went into making a true drop track. Wonder why Intamin of all companies would come up with a fake drop, when they make actual drop towers.

I completely disagree with your assessment.  

I believe the entire point of the last element is to pay homage to BBW.  Especially when BGW faces a lot of criticism for ignoring it's history, I think actively acknowledging a beloved attraction from the past is an intrinsically good thing for the park to do.

I think turning the Wolf's old ending into its replacement's beginning would still have acknowledged it, but at the same time, embracing that the new ride is different. Weren't they stuck using the old footers anyway due to restrictions with digging new footers in that area?

 

[Zachary]

I think turning the Wolf's old ending into its replacement's beginning would still have acknowledged it, but at the same time, embracing that the new ride is different. Weren't they stuck using the old footers anyway due to restrictions with digging new footers in that area?

The park wanted to reuse the same footers to avoid extensive red tape and save on construction costs.

Anyway, reversing the same course reusing The Wolf's footers wasn't (and isn't) feasible. There's no way the slope and length of the decent required could generate the speed needed to make it crest a peak where the current drop is—even if you lowered it to nearly ground-level.

I don't think Verbolten is perfect. I don't think anyone expected a perfect coaster from its manufacturer. It is, however, unique—just like The Wolf was before it.

There are plenty of arguments to be had over details in Verbolten's execution. That said, it is a huge crowd pleaser and the general public adore it. That is the best mark of a successful coaster in my opinion.

 

[SLC Headache]

So using the turns as a beginning wouldn’t be physically possible to keep the speed? Oh well. The ramming speed turns ending would have worked pretty well with my idea of scrapping the drop track and keeping the momentum going for more with an extra airtime hill.

But if it’s well-liked as it is, I guess I’ll be okay with its existence as long as the show building doesn’t look like Six Flags phoned it in inside and out. But seeing as Nessie’s new cave already stopped working, I’m not sure this SWP&E could handle the upkeep.

 

[Thomas]

 

[SLC Headache]

^Verbolten's show building. It hurt my eyes.

I will concede, it's worth riding once - or more than once until you finally get the wolf scene because the other two scenes suck. Some rides are hard to reride because they're intense (I305, etc.), but this is something that doesn't stand up to rerides because its gimmick is betrayed.

But seeing as Nessie’s new cave already stopped working, I’m not sure this SWP&E could handle the upkeep.

Saw the good news in the Nessie thread. And I hope they keep Nessie running that way.

 

[Nicole]

The drop track startles me (for lack of a better word) every time, even though I know it is coming.

 

[Zachary]

or more than once until you finally get the wolf scene because the other two scenes suck

Out of curiosity, when did you first ride Verbolten?

Frankly, these days, I can hardly tell the shows apart. Sometimes I'm convinced it's just one big franken-show at this point.

Back when the ride opened though, I honestly think Wolf was, far and away, the worst of the three. I ranked them Storm, Spirit, Wolves.

 

[SLC Headache]

Out of curiosity, when did you first ride Verbolten?

Last year. Maybe the other shows were more detailed when the ride was new?

 

[Zachary]

That explains so much!

Yes. Verbolten is just a shell of its former self. Each show has eroded down to essentially nothing at this point.

When the ride first opened, it had three completely distinct lighting shows that took place throughout the course in the building—culminating in the block brake and drop track in the back of the building.

The atmospherics when the ride opened were actually fantastic. These days though, all three of the shows randomly integrate parts of the others—likely in an attempt by the park to make up for the numerous elements that have been straight-up removed.

These changes just make the inside of the event building seem like a muddled mess of conflicting visuals and sounds. It looks downright sloppy and sad.

Additionally, Verbolten's rattle has grown far more severe the last couple years (as have the rattles on the park's other coasters). This is almost certainly due to decreasing maintenance budgets causing wheels to need to run longer than previously.

Anyway, Verbolten doesn't deserve the hate. The park, however, does. From the start they've taken Verbolten for granted. They've treated it like one of their B&Ms—assuming it's fine to just flip the switch and let it run. Verbolten requires upkeep and, frankly, the park knew that going in. There is no excuse for what they've allowed to happen to that coaster.

 

[warfelg]

Additionally, Verbolten's rattle has grown far more severe the last couple years (as have the rattles on the park's other coasters). This is almost certainly due to decreasing maintenance budgets causing wheels to need to run longer than previously.

This is the number 1 reason steel coasters got rattles. Worn wheels that create a larger gap. If Bolt got some new wheels, it won't be buttery smooth but it would improve.

Anyway, Verbolten doesn't deserve the hate. The park, however, does. From the start they've taken Verbolten for granted. They've treated it like one of their B&Ms—assuming it's fine to just flip the switch and let it run. Verbolten requires upkeep and, frankly, the park knew that going in. There is no excuse for what they've allowed to happen to that coaster.

Yes yes and yes! Not the ride or the manufacturer's fault at all. All on the park for lacking on upkeep. I think it would be nice if they went through and redid the interior with stagnant sets, one theme, and something that doesn't requite a ton of timing elements.

 

[SLC Headache]

Again, I'll give it another chance if they can restore the show building. If it's good enough, I'd forgive the awkward ride experience. Ideally, ditch the silly blacklight direction and go for something darker and more lifelike, to match the queue/station theming, as well as offer something on par with the village the show building destroyed. I'm not holding my breath, though. I'd rather the budget go to Project Madrid if it's a coaster.

 

[Nicole]

The black lights make more sense for a family coaster, in my opinion.

 

[SLC Headache]

The black lights make more sense for a family coaster, in my opinion.

I meant darker as in "not silly neon lights", not "bloodier and gorier".

 

[Nicole]

I did too.

 

[jtrothrock]

Any idea why they aren't running the yellow train? Was very busy Saturday and only 4 trains. Yellow not ran the whole time I was there this past week. Also, red seems to be the most in need of some tlc. Paint, pads, and it was by far rougher than the others.